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STS-98
Report # 15
Wednesday, February 14, 2001 - 7:00 p.m. CST
Astronauts Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam completed their third and final
planned spacewalk outside the International Space Station today, pausing
to celebrate the mission, which included the 100th spacewalk in United
States space history.
ìThis achievement, this golden anniversary so to speak, is a tribute to
all the people who have done spacewalks, all the people who designed the
Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and now Shuttle suits,î Curbeam said as he and
Jones held a placard commemorating the spacewalks in Atlantisí payload
bay. "And we salute all of you and appreciate your hard work and thank you
so much."
The two astronauts exited Atlantisí airlock at 8:48 a.m. Central. During
five hours and 25 minutes outside, they attached a spare communications
antenna to the International Space Stationís exterior; double-checked
connections between the Destiny lab and its docking port; released a
cooling radiator on the station; inspected solar array connections at the
top of the station; and tested the ability of a spacewalker to carry an
immobile crew member back to the shuttle airlock. The spacewalk work all
went smoothly, and the two reentered Atlantis at 2:13 p.m. Central.
Three hours later, at 5:14 p.m. Central, the shuttle and station crews
reopened hatches between the two spacecraft, beginning about 36 hours of
side-by-side activities. The two crews will say a final farewell and close
the hatches just after 6 a.m. Central on Friday in preparation for
Atlantisí undocking later that morning.
Tomorrowís plans include the continued transfer of supplies and equipment
from Atlantis to the station. A total of more than 800 pounds of
shuttle-delivered supplies and gear will have been transferred to the
station by the time Atlantis departs. Commander Ken Cockrell also is
planned to again set Atlantisí thrusters to fire for a fourth and final
gradual boost of the stationís altitude. The shuttle will leave the
station about 16 miles higher than when Atlantis arrived.
Cockrell, Jones and Curbeam will take a break from their work at 7:49 a.m.
Central Thursday to talk with Baltimore elementary and middle school
students at the Maryland Science Center. Later, the entire shuttle and
station crews will field questions from news media in the U.S. and Russia
during a 40-minute press conference starting at 12:37 p.m. Central.
The shuttle and station crews will go to sleep at 8:13 p.m. Central today.
The shuttle crew will awaken at 4:13 a.m. Central Thursday and the station
crew will awaken a half-hour later. The Johnson Space Center newsroom will
close at 9 p.m. today and reopen at 4 a.m. Thursday. The next Mission
Control Center status report will be issued at 5 a.m. Thursday.
--end--